• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Hack proof my phone

Getting a used S10e phone and would like to figure out how to hack proof my phone. I have an ex that is one of my roommates (that's another problem) and she has somehow been able to know where I'm at and I can't for the life of me figure out how she's done it. She's either installed a key logger on my phone, or something. I never have my GPS on, I change my google account passwords frequently, etc. Part of me wonders if she's copied the SIM card - i've had the same SIM card for a long time.

Since I have no idea how she's done it and I'm not sure how to figure it out, I figured it's best to just get a new phone with a new SIM card. But before I do, I was hoping to find a list of things I could to ensure that she cannot install anything on my phone, has no access to my accts, cannot copy my SIM card, has no access to my location info - basically I'm looking for a bulletproof plan to ensure complete security and privacy.... certainly appreciate any advice here.

Thanks
 
Change all your passwords, and dont use anything common between you as passwords (birthdays, names, phrases, etc.)

Get a new device and have a lock that she wont know or learn.
Keep the device with you and never leave it unattended.
 
Is there a SIM lock feature where the SIM card cannot be copied? Are there any other apps I can install to ensure more security like a ghost VPN, or anything like that?

Also, are there any apps I can download on my current phone to see if a key logger has been installed, or if data is somehow being shared elsewhere?
 
I'm not sure what you are worried about copying the SIM. The SIM is the device that associates your phone to your cellular account, end of. It doesn't contain any information about your Google accounts, and "copying" it, whatever that means, would most likely result in your service being cancelled (if the network finds 2 SIMs with the same IMSI attached to the network that's the most likely response, and that's the only meaning of "copying a SIM" that means anything to me). SIMs aren't magic, and having another SIM programmed with the same ID would not give access to your phone or its data (though if a device with such a SIM were connected to the network they could receive calls or SMS intended for your phone).

In any event, the way to ensure that nobody copies the SIM is not to give them physical access to the SIM.
 
My guess is a social media app. Facebook, twitter, etc. often use location, even course (cell tower / wifi base) can get someone pretty close to your exact location.

Perhaps you go places with someone else that has location turned on so they can deduce that if x is there, then y is there too.
 
What exactly are your location settings? There is an "off" option, but earlier Android versions also had a "low power" option (misnamed, but location setting names are often misleading) which did not use GPS but could still provide coarse location.

If someone has access to your Google account they can track your location history if you allow Google to record that. But they can also track it indirectly if you allow Google to log your "app and web" history, since that includes where you used the app if it is aware (a loophole Google left themselves, allowing many people to think it wasn't being logged when it is). And if you enable Google Assistant it will turn all of these things on without asking you which ones you actually want enabled - you have to go through your Google settings and make sure that stuff you don't want really is off.
 
Getting a used S10e phone and would like to figure out how to hack proof my phone. I have an ex that is one of my roommates (that's another problem) and she has somehow been able to know where I'm at and I can't for the life of me figure out how she's done it. She's either installed a key logger on my phone, or something. I never have my GPS on, I change my google account passwords frequently, etc. Part of me wonders if she's copied the SIM card - i've had the same SIM card for a long time.

Since I have no idea how she's done it and I'm not sure how to figure it out, I figured it's best to just get a new phone with a new SIM card. But before I do, I was hoping to find a list of things I could to ensure that she cannot install anything on my phone, has no access to my accts, cannot copy my SIM card, has no access to my location info - basically I'm looking for a bulletproof plan to ensure complete security and privacy.... certainly appreciate any advice here.

Thanks
Buy a new device. Look into GrapheneOS. Sandboxed OS, allows degoogling phone. Pixel devices work great. You can disable all apps then quickly enable again, without losing your data.
 
Buy a new device. Look into GrapheneOS. Sandboxed OS, allows degoogling phone. Pixel devices work great. You can disable all apps then quickly enable again, without losing your data.
They prob have a persistent spyware, or have your google as an enterprise/managed device. Only way you can check is by system logs. Some kind of new backdoor that seems to follow all accounts made... I'm dealing with this on my normal phones. My GrapheneOS Pixel seems to be secure so far.
 
Back
Top Bottom